Damaged Goods
by CosmicDucks
Summary: Reverse Pines AU
1. Chapter 1

"Dipper. Mabel. Did one of you knock this over?" Their father asked, gesturing to the broken picture frame and shattered glass on the floor. His voice was calm, but his hands were clenched, displaying his thick and bony knuckles. Mabel resisted the urge to look at her feet. If you acted guilty (or if it looked like you were) then you were guilty. Instead, she forced herself to meet her father's harsh gaze, and replied in a level but not entirely emotionless tone, "No Sir."

Their father didn't accuse her of lying or lash out at them, but his fists were still tightly clenched. He stared at both of them. Mabel wanted to reach for her brother's hand, but knew her father would see it as a confession of guilt. "I don't suppose you do know what's happened then?" He asked. He studied them both, his hands never relaxing. Mabel wanted to tuck her head into her sweater or run-or better yet both, but she told the lie she'd been practicing before he got home instead.

"Mom came home drunk again. She must've knocked the painting over on the way in." Mabel told him. Their father looked passed them, and Mabel hoped he'd notice the discarded heels she and Dipper had placed there for evidence.

"Were you watching her or something? Why else wouldn't you clean up this mess. For all the trouble you two make me go through, you couldn't even clean this?!" Their father hissed. Mabel stepped back and Dipper stepped forward, placing himself between their father and Mabel. Forgetting entirely about appearing guilty or not, she latched onto him.

"We were upstairs doing our homework Sir." Dipper explained, "But we heard noise from upstairs. We came down and decided to help mother into bed, wh-which is why we weren't able to clean up the mess. But we can do it right now." Mabel griped her brother harder. She hoped their father didn't hear the stutter. Their father said it made them look guilty.

For a moment, he didn't do anything, and Mabel wondered if he saw right through them, but their father simply gave them an irritated look. "Don't just stand there then, get to it! You know I can't stand a mess." He snapped. Dipper and Mabel nodded before scurrying to the kitchen, Mabel clinging to her twin's arm the whole while.

Dipper got out the dustpan and broom and Mabel got the trash bag. Waiting until they heard the slam of the door to their father's study, the two finally relaxed.

"That could've turned out a lot worse." Dipper stated. A whole lot worse. Mabel took their mother's heels back to the closet where they belonged whilst Dipper began to sweep up the mess. When Mabel got back she held open the trash can for him to dump the glass and frame in. They didn't bother removing the picture.

"We better back upstairs it's almost eight o'clock." Dipper warned. Mabel nodded and wordlessly followed him upstairs. Their father had a rule. (Lots of them actually, but that was going off on a tangent.) Since he was home, they had to be in their rooms by eight or face the consequences otherwise. Since Dipper and Mabel weren't particularly fond of wearing purple and blue for more than a day straight they complied.

"Ladies first," Dipper gestured to the restroom, allowing Mabel to go through before him, ready to shut the door just in case his father realized that they were actually guilty and tricked him. He'd wear blue and purple for weeks if it meant Mabel didn't have to.

Lying to their father always made Dipper uneasy. He supposed that's why he wasn't successful as Mabel. His nerves would cause him to mess up and his father would know he was guilty. But Mabel didn't seemed to be bothered by it. Rather than scanning the hall uneasily for any signs of their parents she was busy brushing her teeth, unconcerned about anything else.

She spat out her toothpaste, careful to rinse it all off of the sink. "You okay?" Dipper knew she was referring to the lying, and chose not to say it aloud in case one of their parents was in earshot.

"I'm fine." He told her. Mabel told him that she'd read a book that talked about how the actual act of telling the lie wasn't as important as how one behaved before and afterwards. It was similar to what their father said: if you acted guilty, then you were guilty. They just had to play it cool and it would be fine. They would be fine.

After getting ready for bed the Pines twins went to their room, arriving exactly at eight o'clock. Sure enough, the heavy footsteps of their father could be heard as he came up the stairs, the key held loosely in his grasp. Mabel put on her innocent look (one that, despite Dipper knowing was fake, he would still find himself almost falling for it) and Dipper put on a look of his own. Mabel dubbed it the world's best poker face because it was hard to read anything from it, and Dipper knew just how good Mabel was at reading people.

Their father strode down the hall, pausing at their doorway. "You've taken care of things." He stated rather than asked. Dipper and Mabel nodded in unison. Their father shut the door and locked it. The clicking of the door always reminded Dipper of their powerlessness. And, as always, Dipper would tell himself 'One day, one day he'd break down that door and he and Mabel would be free. And no one would ever control them again. Not their father, not anyone.'

"Goodnight Dipper." Mabel smiled at him, a genuine smile that was one of the many reasons he adored his sister, and she turned off the light. Even though she couldn't see, he smiled back, "Goodnight Mabel."

XXXX_I don't know how to make a fancy line break thing_XXXX

Dipper was woken up by loud noises and footsteps and voices he didn't recognize. He crawled out of bed, and heard the soft sound of the bed creaking before Mabel was by his side, holding his hand.

"What do you think it is Dipper?" Mabel asked. Dipper shrugged, "I don't know, it maybe we can hear something by the door if we're quiet enough." The twins pressed their ears to the door and waited in silence. There were loud footsteps darting up the stairs. Dipper's grip on his sister tightened and she squeezed back. The voices were faint, and Dipper could only catch the occasional word or phrase.

"Bring her down!"

"-unresponsive, no pulse-"

"Time of death-"

"Let's move her-"

Mabel shot Dipper a worried glance before running to their window. Dipper followed. An ambulance and police car sat outside, lights flashing and sirens still blaring. In the early morning light they could see that some of their neighbors had be woken up by the commotion and had come to see what was going on.

The twins watched in silence until eventually strangers began pouring out of the house, two paramedics carrying a large black bag on a stretcher. Dipper, unsure of what to feel, clung to his sister, and she hugged back. Whatever was going to happen one thing was certain: things were about to change.

XXXXX_not so fancy line break thing_XXXX

Birthdays for the Pines twins had never been an overly cheerful event, but their eleventh birthday had set the record for the all time low. Dipper said that it was to be expected, given that they would be attending a funeral and all. Mabel decided that for her funeral she would've wanted something more cheerful, but dismissed the idea as silly. She couldn't think of anyone who'd even go to her funeral (Dipper didn't even register as a possibility, because Mabel didn't think of any scenarios where they'd be separated).

Well, there was one good thing to come out of it. Mabel had gotten a brand new dress. It was black (because for some reason people at funerals could only wear black-at the funeral Mabel wasn't going to have she would've had everyone dress in a variety of colors, no two people the same) and the velvet material was soft. It even came with a little purse! Mabel opened it and peaked inside. Her favorite pink headband had been shoved into the purse along with her favorite pair of flower hair clips due to a lack of anything else to put inside. She would've liked to wear them along with her new dress, but her father told her it would have been disrespectful to the dead.

Mabel frowned. For a moment, she had almost forgotten about why-or rather who they had come for. The late Katherine Pines was laid out in an open casket for all to see. Mabel and her remaining family were seated in the very front row of the cathedral; close enough to the casket that she could see the markings on her mother's neck where the make up wasn't thick enough.

Mabel didn't know how she felt about her mother's death. Her feelings were all jumbled up and messy. Part of her wasn't even sure if this was real. Yes her mother was lying there clearly devoid of life, but Mabel still watched her, half expecting her to get up and fumble for her painkillers as usual after spending the night developing an enormous hangover. Another part of her felt dread. Who would they use as a scapegoat now? Dipper and Mabel had avoided several beatings thanks to the excuse of their mother's alcoholism. Mabel ran her hands across her dress and reminded herself not to panic; Dipper would probably tell her they'd just have to be more careful from now on when the topic would inevitably come up later.

"Mabel," Dipper whispered, gaining her attention. He held out a rose for her to take, and grabbed her other hand, "it's time to go up front." Mabel sat up, leaving her purse on the seat and followed her brother. Aside from their father and the priest, they were the only ones standing beside the coffin.

Their father laid his rose down over his wife's chest, "Maybe you're finally happy now. Rest in peace, Katherine." Dipper and Mabel had to get onto the tips of their toes to reach into the coffin and as soon as they let go of the flowers Dipper jerked his hand back quickly, as if he expected their mother to reach out and grab him. Mabel shuddered at the idea.

Their father went back to his seat, and Dipper held out his hand once more for her to take. Mabel did so, but not before looking back at their mother. "Goodbye mother. I don't if I miss you." She went with Dipper back to their seats.

Despite the companionship of her brother, Mabel still couldn't help but be bored by the proceedings. Listening to the long winded speeches of people who she didn't know pretending to grieve for her mother was grating. And they were pretending. And doing a fairly poor job of it too. The faces of sadness were too exaggerated, the tears too forced. If you're going to lie you needed to do it well, otherwise people would become aware of the deception and start to dig for the real answer. Or beat it out of you, if they were like Addison Pines.

The event ended with Mrs. Pines' remains being buried in the cemetery outside, and Mabel couldn't get to the car fast enough. As soft as her dress felt, it was not suited for such warm weather. Mabel could tell Dipper shared the sentiment. Mabel felt bad for him, Dipper had to wear and actual suit with a coat, and her brother got hot and sweaty much faster than she did.

Dipper let out a small sound of relief as the car's air conditioning started blowing cool air onto them, rather than the hot air it usually did when it first started up. Mabel decided if she ever went into the automobile industry, she'd make a car that didn't do that.

Mabel yawned and reached for her purse-only to find she didn't have it. She froze before turning side to side, groping the seats for her purse. "Oh dear." She breathed.

Her father looked at her through the rear view mirror, "Mabel, is something wrong?" Mabel winced and opened her mouth to say that of course there wasn't, but her father's face had already hardened.

An important part of telling a convincing lie was knowing when to and when not to. Now was one of the latter times. Her father was already suspicious, and if he realized she was attempting to lie to him, any future attempts would be less successful. So she told him the truth.

"I forgot my purse." Mabel told him, keeping her voice audible despite it seeming to want to grow soft and small. Her father tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and Mabel barely resisted the urge to shield herself and tremble. Her father took it as a sign of being guilty. "If you act like you expect to be hit, it is because you know you've done something wrong to deserve it." Her father would say.

Dipper tensed up and his hand darted towards his seatbelt, as if he were ready to hop out of his seat and protect his sister if necessary. Mabel found some comfort in her brother's willingness to protect her, but it couldn't wash away the fear entirely.

For a moment their father didn't do a thing, until his shoulders abruptly sagged and his grip weakened. "Yes, the loss of your mother has been an overwhelming event. You can be forgiven today for not keeping proper track of your things. Just take care that it doesn't happen again."

Mabel sagged with relief, but still felt a small inkling of terror. "Yes Sir." She replied, careful to keep her voice neutral. Sounding overly relieved or smug was a quick way to get her father to change his mind about letting her off the hook.

Dipper reached out and grabbed her hand. His palms were sweaty but Mabel grabbed them anyway and gave him a reassuring smile. It would be okay. They would be okay.

XXX_Sorry if the line breaks bother you_XXX

'It would be okay. They would be okay.' It had become somewhat of a mantra for Dipper and Mabel in the months after their mother died. Dipper never seemed fully sure of himself when he said it, but Mabel chose to full heartedly believe in it. Like her mother had once said, fake it til' you make it. It was easier some days than others.

"Dipper and Mabel, come here now!" Their father's voice boomed from downstairs. Mabel jumped, letting out an undignified squeak and Dipper was by her side in an instant. "Calm down Mabel, we'll think of something. I'll protect you." He declared. Mabel tried to swallow but couldn't, "But we didn't do anything wrong!" She protested. Ever since their mom died the twins had taken extra precautions to ensure they stayed out of trouble as much as possible. And Mabel knew for a fact there wasn't a thing they'd done today to warrant their father's anger.

"I know. Let's get this over with. He'll only get angrier the longer he has to wait." Dipper grabbed her hand and led them downstairs.

"DIPPER AND MABEL, DO NOT MAKE ME COME UP THERE!" Their father shouted. Mabel trembled and watch as Dipper put on his poker face. "Coming Sir!" He called back calmly. His hands were starting to get clammy, but Mabel only held on tighter. Their father was waiting for them at the base of the stairs, arms folded and eyes blazing with fury.

"Do you enjoy living in filth?" Their father grit his teeth. Dipper, blinked, unable to recall any mess having been made by him and Mabel to get his father so worked up. "Well? Do you?!" Their father snapped. "No sir!" Mabel responded, her voice wavering slightly.

Their father grabbed their wrists in his hands and yanked them apart so one was standing on either side of him. Mabel and Dipper attempted to reach for one another while they were dragged into the kitchen by their father. He lifted their arms slightly before roughly releasing them, causing the twins to stumble while they corrected their balance.

"Then what is this?" He barked, gesturing to the kitchen floor. Mabel tilted her head in confusion. What mess was she supposed to be looking at? The floor was clean. Their father tapped his foot, waiting for an answer.

Mabel didn't know what to say. She honestly didn't know what he wanted, but knew they had to say something before he got even angrier, but what?

"I'm not sure I follow Sir." Dipper told their father. Mabel knew the words were a mistake the moment they left Dipper's mouth. Their father grabbed him by the hair and forced Dipper to his knees. "Do you follow now?" He spat, his hold never weakening.

"I do so much for you children. You should be grateful with how good you have it compared to others, and this is the thanks I get? A messy floor?" He pushed Dipper down, so that his face banged into the linoleum.

"DIPPER!" Mabel cried as she ran to her brother's side ,only to have her father stop her dead in her tracks with a vicious glare. He released Dipper and stood up to his full height, towering over Mabel. Mabel's mind went blank, and all she could to was be consumed by terror. Her father reached out and grabbed her by the ear. Mabel whimpered in pain as her father began to drag her out of the kitchen.

"MABEL, LET HER GO!" Dipper shouted from behind them. Her father turned roughly to the side, slapping Dipper on his already bloody face. Mabel started blubbering incoherently for her brother, not stopping even as her father picked her up and marched her upstairs. Mabel saw her brother get up and bolt up the stairs after them, an angry determination in his eyes.

Their father stopped at their bedroom doorway long enough to set Mabel down and push her harshly into the room before slamming the door shut. Mabel heard the door click shut and shouting in the hallway. Dipper was screaming at their father, demanding he let Mabel out, consequences be damned. Mabel wrestled with the door handle before resorting to banging on the door and screaming her brother's name repeatedly.

The shouting raised in volume and Mabel could hear the sounds of a scuffle. Dipper's shouting ceased and started turning into softer sounds of pain. Mabel frantically clawed at the door. "DIPPER, DIPPER ARE YOU OKAY?! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! DON'T HURT DIPPER! DIPPER ARE YOU OKAY?! PLEASE BE OKAY PLEASE BE OKAY!" The words started to squish together and the sounds on the other side of the door grew more distant.

Mabel only screamed louder. She clawed and banged at the door but no one answered. The house had gone quiet. Mabel collapsed, barely able to breathe through her heavy sobs. She shook uncontrollably and scarcely noticed the warm dampness between her legs.

"Dipper please be okay, please be okay, please be okay," Mabel begged quietly. It would be okay. They would be okay. Mabel started to wonder if she truly believed it.


	2. Chapter 2

Dipper woke up slowly, with all the aches and pains of yesterday coming back to him gradually, until all at once he was hit with awareness and the mindless panic for his sister that came with it. Dipper scrambled up gracelessly, nearly falling over again in the process before attempting to pry open their bedroom door. Their father must've been truly angry, Dipper thought as he struggled against the handle, since he'd forgotten to lock Dipper in with his sister after he'd been forced to scrub the kitchen until his father was satisfied. And while Dipper hated being trapped in their room until their father decided to free them, at least he'd been trapped with Mabel.

"D-Dipper...?" A voice croaked faintly from behind the door. Dipper ceased his futile attempts to pry the door open, "Mabel?!" Dipper pressed his ear to the door to better listen to his twin.

"Dipper! Are you okay?! I was so worried about you! Last night I couldn't hear you and no one responded to me and I was really scared and I thought something bad happened to you and what if you had ended up like mom and I ended up wetting myself which is really gross and I haven't been able to clean it-but I'm so glad you're here!" Mabel babbled all in one breath before taking in a gulp of air.

Dipper grimaced, "Mabel, I'm so sorry, I...I failed you." He tucked his head in shame, sinking to the floor as a wave of self loathing washed over him. There was a moment of silence before Mabel spoke, "Dipper, bro, you didn't fail me. You did protect me, as best as you could. If anyone should be apologizing its me, cause you're probably all beat up because of it."

Dipper looked down, and while he didn't say it outright, Mabel was right. His left eye was difficult to look out of, and Dipper was certain if he had a mirror he'd find that it was swollen and purple or some other color that human skin wasn't supposed to normally be. Various bruises covered his pale skin, and when he licked his teeth he noticed that one of his molars was missing, probably knocked out during the scuffle with their father.

"I'll be fine." Dipper told her. "Liar." Mabel shot back, but it lacked any real emotion. "It'll be okay," Dipper told her in an attempt to comfort her. "...We'll be okay..." Mabel eventually responded. Dipper frowned but didn't comment on Mabel's reluctance.

"Uh, Dipper...?" Mabel began, sounding uncertain. "What?" He answered. "...Is dad home?" Mabel asked. Dipper blinked, "Um..." Come to think of it, he hadn't heard any noises besides him and his sister ever since he woke up.

"Mabel," Dipper asked calmly, to avoid frightening his sister, "What time is it?" Dipper could faintly make out his sister's footsteps as she hurried over to the clock on their nightstand and back. "It's almost eleven." Mabel stated uneasily.

An unpleasant realization came to Dipper. Yesterday had been Sunday...today was Monday. Their father worked on Mondays. He left for work at seven. Dipper ran down the hall. "Hang on a sec Mabel!" He cried as he hurried downstairs. Mabel might've yellowed something back, but if she did Dipper didn't catch it.

Dipper stole a brief glance at an empty kitchen before checking his father's office. Empty. As was the living room and restroom. With growing amounts of dread Dipper made his way to the garage. He hesitated before opening the door. He didn't need to turn the lights on to see that the car wasn't there. Dipper did anyway, as if to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him. Their father was gone. And he'd left Mabel trapped until he got home from work. That wouldn't be until at least seven in the afternoon, assuming he came straight home.

Dipper went back upstairs, unsure of how to break the news to Mabel-or how to calm her down when she inevitably figured it out for herself. Dipper walked glumly back to their bedroom, before coming to a stop at the master bedroom.

Dipper and Mabel never went into their parents-now just their father's-room. Never. Even one of them thinking it was simply unheard of, and now Dipper was about to burst in and search the place for the key to free his sister. A tight ball of anxiety formed in his gut. An irrational part of him wondered if his father was in there, and had fooled Dipper into thinking he hadn't been home by parking his car across the street. Or worse, what if was his mother, and their father had secretly dug her back up to keep her in their room.

The rational part of Dipper's mind knew that neither of those things could be true. It would've been pretty hard to not notice their father sneaking a corpse into the house, and it wouldn't make sense for his punctual father to miss work just for a chance to potentially catch Dipper doing something he shouldn't, but some irrational part of Dipper's eleven-almost-twelve mind conjured up gruesome mental imagery of his deceased mother and angry father looming over him with whatever he had in reach that could be used as a weapon.

Dipper grit his teeth, what was he doing? Standing around while Mabel was trapped in their room? He said he'd protect her, and he could start by getting her out of that room. Taking a deep breath, and preparing to run if needed, Dipper twisted the door handle.

The door opened with the softest creak, and to Dipper's illogical and immense relief, there were no dead bodies or angry fathers to be seen. He hesitated before stepping into the bedroom, and his fears vanished at once. Dipper nodded to himself before methodically sorting through the room, careful to place everything back the way it was before he had touched it.

Dipper sorted through shelves filled with clothes, sock drawers, nigh stands, and even under the bed, but no key was there. Dipper picked himself up off the floor and looked upwards at the ceiling. His parent's room had a ceiling fan, and tied to the short pole attaching the fan to the ceiling, was a thick knot of rope. It had been cut cleanly, and Dipper realized numbly that that was once part of the noose his mother used to hang himself. He looked back down, determined to ignore it, that wouldn't help Mabel.

Dipper turned to go check the closet, but jumped as he heard Mabel screaming. Dipper bolted from the room, leaving the door wide open in his rush to get to his sister.

"Mabel I'm here! I'm here! What's wrong?!" Dipper shouted above his sister. Mabel stopped screaming, and he heard her sniffle before wiping her nose. "I was scared. You left and you didn't come back or answer me. I'm stuck in here and I was alone. Please don't leave me." Mabel whimpered.

Dipper's heart ached for his sister, "Oh Mabel," he breathed, "I'll never leave you. I'll be with you, always. I just wanted to search our father's room for the key, to see if we can get you out of there." Dipper heard Mabel sniffle again, and wished he had been on the other side of the door with her. "Okay." She told him. Mabel sounded quiet and small and afraid and Dipper was determined to find a way to help her.

"I'm going to go back there and check the closet for the key, okay? I'll be right back. Just stay calm. I am going to do everything I can to get you out of there." Dipper promised. "Alright. I believe in you Dipper." Mabel told him. Dipper, for some reason that might've had something to do with them being twins, knew that she had been smiling when she said it. What did he ever do to get someone like Mabel for a sister?

"Right. I'll be back soon." Dipper repeated. He went back to their father's room and entered without the hesitation from last time. He scoured the closet, snarling in frustration when he turned up nothing but old photos and junk. Dipper opened a box of shoes, hoping to find the key but just expecting-and getting-another pair of shoes.

"Huh?" Dipper spotted something inside the shoe, he pulled it out to find a small wad of cash, which he quickly shoved into his pocket. "That'll come in handy. Unlike anything else in this room." Dipper grumbled. He put the box back before glumly making his way back to Mabel, this time remembering to shut the door as he went.

Mabel heard him coming, "Dipper do you have the key? I could use some water. I also have to go again." Dipper winced, and his lack of an immediate answer was enough of a response for Mabel. The door groaned slightly as his twin rested up against it. "This sucks." She groaned. Dipper felt sorry for his sister, and wished that he'd been the one trapped instead of her, or that neither of them had been. Dipper wished for a lot of things, but they rarely came true.

Dipper sat there for a moment thinking. "Maybe I can't get you out," he stated, "but I can try to get things in." Mabel made a noise, prompting him to continue. "I know we have some fruit loops, I can try sliding them under the door so at least you won't be hungry while I find another way to get you out." Dipper explained. And he would get her out, consequences be damned.

"Maybe you can slip some water under the door?" Mabel questioned, her tone considerably brighter than before if not exactly cheerful. "We'd need a cup or something, so it doesn't sink into the carpet. But I don't have a cup that small." Dipper stated. "How about a bottle cap?" Mabel remarked, "We should have some bottles of water downstairs."

Dipper nodded, "I'll go get it." Dipper retrieved the cereal and water before settling down beside the door of their bedroom that was currently doubling as Mabel's prison. "Slide the stuff through on the side closer to the handle, the carpet on the other side is..." Mabel trailed off, not wanting to remind them of her accident.

"Got it." Dipper started sliding fruit loops and a capful of water under the door. It was a slow process of getting things to Mabel, but at least she had some food and water. Meanwhile Dipper had some time to think.

"I've got several ideas." Dipper began. "Well let's hear em." Mabel prompted. "We can either try to break the door down, which I don't think will work, remove the doorknob, or try and undue the hinges." Dipper stated. "Hinges would be the best one, dad doesn't have a lot of tools, but even he has to have a screwdriver lying around somewhere." Mabel said. Dipper nodded in agreement. All he had to do was find it and the hinges would pop right off.

It didn't take Dipper long to find a screw driver, but it did take nearly ten minutes to unscrew all the hinges. "Good job Dipper! But what do we do now?" Mabel asked. Dipper began walking away from the door, "Stand back Mabel, I'm going to try knocking this thing down!"

Dipper charged at the door, urging himself forward and at a speed that would be too fast for his reflexes to stop before the collision. Dipper barged into the door, bending it awkwardly until it partially broke, a chunk of it still stuck to the wall thanks to the locked doorknob.

Dipper picked himself up, unable to suppress a groan of discomfort nor the smile that followed. In an instant Mabel was on him, hugging him as tightly as she could, and he hugged back just a hard. "Thank you thank you thank you Dipper." Mabel said, the words oozing with relief. As pleasant as it was to have his sister back again, the hug was short lived as Mabel let go of him and dashed over to the bathroom, slamming the door shut without any word of explanation, not that Dipper truly needed one.

Dipper glanced over at the door. He'd need to fix that. Maybe if he brought it upright and screwed the hinges back on his father wouldn't notice? Dipper knew at this point he was just fooling himself in order to avoid thinking about how their father was going to murder them when he got back, but he didn't regret it. Not when Mabel was free. Still, he'd be lying if he said he'd wanted to give his father a reason to lash out (not that he seemed to need one). Dipper considered going to get some supplies to clean up some of the mess, but decided against it. He was going to get beaten up anyway, so why bother?

Mabel came back from the restroom, and gently nudged her brother on the shoulder, "What do you wanna do know bro?" Dipper shrugged, "We already broke several rules, what's a few more?" Mabel gave him a mischievous grin, and it didn't take long before he found himself giving her an identical one.

Dipper and Mabel laughed in unison as they jumped up and down on their parent's bed, Dipper taking an immense satisfaction at repeatedly breaking one of their father's most strictly enforced rules. Mabel jumped high in the air before landing on her back with an "oomph" and dissolving into more giggles.

"This is fun, we should've done this a long time ago!" Mabel exclaimed. Dipper stopped jumping and sat down next to his sister. He noted how the sheets had become wrinkled from all the bouncing. Before Dipper fully registered the action, he was straightening up the sheets. Dipper stopped, frowning. He was still going to get in trouble for the door, so why was he worrying about cleaning anyway? Dipper let go of the sheets, determined to ignore them, but found that leaving the other side of the bed a mess was bothering him even more than not cleaning them was.

"Hey Dipper, wanna go eat snacks in the living room while we watch tv?" Mabel asked. Dipper looked at the sheets one the other side of the bed, "Sure."

Dipper and Mabel grabbed some chips from the pantry before settling themselves only several feet away from the tv, something their father would lecture them about if he'd been present. Mabel put on some movie Dipper didn't know the name of, but he was content to just sit back and hang out with his sister.

Dipper's mind started to wonder from the movie, and he found himself thinking of other things. Their father would be furious when he came home. Furious enough to seriously harm them. Dipper suddenly felt breaking the rules even further was a sure-fire way to get them horribly maimed, perhaps even killed.

Dipper looked over at his twin, who'd fallen fast asleep. "I've got to clean this mess up before he gets home." He told himself. Dipper picked up the chips and went to go put them back in the pantry before gathering supplies to clean the carpet upstairs. Dipper went back and made their parent's bed, cleaned the carpet where Mabel had accidentally made a mess thanks to their father (Dipper grit his teeth and started scrubbing the carpet harder, wishing that the carpet cleaning brush had been his father's face), and attempted to set the door back into a more normal looking position. The door ended coming from the wall entirely, so Dipper ended up just leaning it against the wall of the hallway.

Dipper's hand went to the money in his pocket. Maybe he and Mabel should just run away. Now, while they had the chance. He had some money, maybe they could buy a bus ticket and say goodbye to Piedmont for good. Sure they didn't have all the details worked out, but they could think of something. Dipper went back downstairs, and gently shook Mabel awake.

"Mabel...Mabel, wake up!" He called softly, not wanting to startle her. Mabel groaned before slowly opening her eyes. "Dipper...? What is it?" She sat up and stretched before yawning. "Mabel, I've been thinking..." Dipper began, "what if we don't stick around until dad comes home? Even if we tried to cover everything up, there's nothing we can do about the door. Instead of waiting for him to get home and explode on us, we could just run away. I found some money, maybe it's enough for a bus ticket."

Mabel paused, carefully considering his words, "I...I think you're right but..." Mabel but her lip, "Where will we go?" "Anywhere. Everywhere has got to be better than here." Dipper stated. Mabel forced herself to smile but Dipper knew she wasn't fully convinced, "I'd like to see the look on his face once he got home and we weren't here." Mabel stopped smiling, "But he'd find us, wouldn't he? Besides, what place would just let two kids walk in and buy a ticket to who-knows-where? They'd probably call the police to find our parents, then we'd really be in trouble."

"Mabel, you heard what our father said last night. 'Our days are numbered' If we stay, we'll probably end up like mom." Dipper told her. He felt bad about the fear that suddenly bloomed in his sister's eyes, but he was doing what he had to keep her safe.

"Okay. Let's go pack." Mabel eventually agreed. Dipper nodded, and held out his hand, Mabel gave him a small smile as she took it. Dipper led his sister upstairs and pulled out their old school bags to start packing.

"Try not to pack anything too heavy, just the necessities in case we need to do some traveling on foot." Dipper instructed. Mabel nodded, "I know, I know. Hey-"

Whatever his sister was going to say died on her lips as the sound of the garage door opening filled their ears. Mabel turned to Dipper, face pale and eyes wide with fear. "Dipper!" She cried.

Dipper hurriedly zipped up his bag and slung it on his shoulder, "Mabel, if we hurry maybe we can make it out the back-" The house door opened. Mabel's breath hitched. Dipper grabbed his sister and guided her towards the bed. "Hide under here and don't make any sound-" Dipper instructed. Mabel opened her mouth to speak when their father's voice called from downstairs.

"Dipper and Mabel, please come down." He called. There was no anger in his words, not yet at least. "C-coming!" Dipper called. He headed for the stairs, but stopped once he heard Mabel following him. "What are you doing? Go hide!" Dipper whispered frantically.

Mabel shook her head, "I'm going with you. You still have the money, right? Maybe we can just run out the door once he's distracted." Dipper prepared a retort but their father called them again, sounding less pleased. Dipper sighed, "Alright, but stay behind me." Mabel nodded and grabbed his hand. Though Dipper wouldn't admit it, a part of him was relieved at not having to face his father alone. He put on a blank look and headed downstairs.

If their father was surprised that they had managed to get Mabel out of the room, he didn't show it. He seemed strangely calm...happy almost. It put Dipper on edge. Their father hadn't been in such a good mood in a long time. He must've had something truly terrible in store for them then.

"I've made a few phone calls, and eventually managed to come to an agreement." Their father stated. In his hand were two tickets which he presented to the twins. Dipper eyed him suspiciously before taking the tickets from his father. They were...bus tickets? He and Mabel glanced at each other before looking up at their father.

"I managed to get in contact with your great uncles, and have convinced them to take you in." He told them. "Your new home will be in Gravity Falls, Oregon. Go pack, your bus leaves in two hours." Their father went to the office, leaving them in shocked silence.

Dipper stood there, frozen. Mabel was the one to bring him out of it, "Dipper! Do you know what this means?!" She half shouted. Dipper gestured for her to lower her volume, but nodded. "We're...free.. from our father at least." The words sounded odd to Dipper. They were true (at least he hoped they were true, and not just some cruel trick their father devised to mess with them), but it was as if he couldn't wrap his head around the concept. Life away from their father. How long had he been wishing for that?

The timeless phrase 'be careful what you wish for' came to Dipper, and he grew suspicious. "He said we were going to live with our great uncles...why would they take us in if they don't even know us?" Mabel tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Maybe he bribed them?" Dipper thought that could've been a plausible explanation. But he wasn't sure his father was wealthy enough to bribe someone into raising two kids. Dipper had an uneasy feeling about it all.

He headed upstairs with his twin. "Mabel," he said, checking to ensure they were out of earshot of their father's office, "how do we know he's even telling us the truth? Up until today we didn't know we had a great uncle, and suddenly we have at least two? He could be lying to us! What if these guys are some random men that like to use kids for child labor or something?!"

Mabel frowned, considering the possibility. "He didn't sound like he was lying. Sure, he seemed happier than usual, but other than that his body language hadn't changed." His sister retreated into deep thought, probably going over their father's words and actions in her mind to determine any inconsistencies from his usual behavior.

Dipper pulled out their bags, already partially packed, and continued to place clothing and a few other items in his bag, such as the pens he removed the ink out of, so he could chew them without worrying about biting too deeply into them and making a mess. Mabel grabbed their alarm clock before shoving it roughly into her bag.

"If he's lying about our great uncles, I can't tell." Mabel admitted. His sister's hands were shaking. Dipper placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "If you can't tell he's lying, then I think it's safe to assume he's telling the truth. But even if we have great uncles, I'm not sure we can trust them."

"So what do you want do?" Mabel asked. "Just finish packing for now. Maybe we can board a different bus or something if dad doesn't come with us." Dipper shrugged. Mabel and him were finally getting out of this prison, and he'd do everything in his power to ensure they didn't end up in another one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Its only been two days, and there's already another chapter, amazing! Actually it is because I posted this story on ao3 before this site, so I'm trying to make it so they're updated at the same time. Also, thank you all so much for following and commenting on the story, I appreciate it. Anyway, this is the chapter where we finally get to see Gravity Falls! If you guys have any comments on how I can improve the story (grammar, characterizations, etc) please let me know. And on an unrelated note, I finally figured out how to do the line break!**

* * *

Gravity Falls, Oregon

"Ford. Talk to me, please." Stanley all but begged his brother. Ford hadn't said a word to him since yesterday, after he broke the news to him about the kids. In fact, this was the first time today he'd been able to keep his brother in the same room as him for more than a few seconds. Stan hoped that meant Ford was ready to forgive him and things could go back to normal again. He was getting awfully lonely.

"We'd said that we would never go behind each other's backs." Ford told him, traces of hurt in his voice. Stan looked down in shame, "You were busy at the time, and a decision needed to be made." He tried to defend himself. Ford glanced over at the door, an action that did not go unnoticed by Stan. Butterflies bloomed in his gut as he tried to think of a way to pacify his brother. Ford started walking to the door.

"The kids can be useful," Stan blurted out. Ford stopped, his back still facing Stan. It was a start. "we've been thinking of hiring more people to help out with the Mystery Mansion, but now we don't have to hire anyone." Stan maintained. Ford shifted, and Stan knew he was considering it.

"Not to mention it would be good for our image. The people of Gravity Falls will think it's great we're taking two kids in." Stan added. Ford turned to face him, contemplating what he was saying. Stan hoped he wouldn't turn the kids back just because he didn't talk to him beforehand. Ford looked at him. Stan wondered if he was going to make a return call.

"I guess we can keep them, but..." Ford trailed off, the message clear: don't do something like this ever again. Stan nodded in acknowledgement of the unspoken message.

"Tell Soos to clean up a room for them. I've got some...arrangements to make."

* * *

Piedmont, California

Mabel studied her brother as he packed his bags. He was covered in blue and purple and even if his face was an emotionless mask, his hands were shaking as he fumbled to pack his bags. Dipper was scared (if Mabel were to ask him he'd probably chose to deny it, but they'd both know he was lying) and it scared Mabel too.

Mabel was scared of their father and what he could do to them. She was scared he'd come upstairs and notice the broken door or suddenly recall he'd never let Mabel out of their room so she shouldn't have been able to come downstairs. She was scared he'd find out how guilty they were and that they would end up like their mother.

"Mabel?" Dipper asked. Mabel looked up at her brother, "yeah?" "Are you ready?" Dipper slung his backpack over his shoulders and held out his hand. Mabel grabbed her bag and took her brother's hand, "I'm scared." She admitted. Because she was; she was terrified. "But I think I'm happy too." Mabel told him. Mabel didn't offer an explanation but Dipper seemed to understand.

The twins walked back downstairs. The sight of their father waiting for them instinctively made Mabel want to run back upstairs, but she calmed herself by reminding herself that the mean man waiting for her and her twin was about to go away and he'd take the fear with him.

"It's time to go." Was all he said. Their father strode over to the garage door, and Dipper and Mabel followed.

As the car pulled out onto the driveway and then the street, Mabel stared at the place that used to be where she lived (she didn't know if it was a home, because the teacher had said homes were warm and comfortable and safe and Mabel wanted that to be true). She'd very likely never see it again. Good. Or at least it was supposed to be good.

But what happened know? Were they just going to be sent off to Gravity Falls and the great uncles who waited for them there? Dipper didn't want to, so Mabel didn't know if she wanted to either. Mabel didn't like thinking those sort of thoughts because they always left you worried and anxious and upset like they did with Dipper, but the unpleasant thoughts were all she could think about.

Were their great uncles mean? Did they look like their father? Would they lock Dipper and Mabel in their room until they decided it was time for her and her brother to come out? Mabel took a deep breath. They'd figure it out. Even if she couldn't, Dipper always managed to come up with a solution. Just like he did with the door.

As the car pulled up to the bus station Mabel reached for her brother's hand. He gave her a gentle squeeze back. Their father pulled up to the entrance and stopped the car. He didn't say a thing as they got out.

Mabel couldn't help but feel disappointed at their father's lack of a goodbye, or even a good riddance. Though he wasn't her father anymore, was he? Mabel wondered if there was an actual term for whatever he was to her now...like not-father. Mabel could work on a better name later.

Mabel glanced at her brother, to see him scanning the signs marking the bus lines and their various destinations. "Are we going to Gravity Falls?" She asked. Dipper ground his teeth, and Mabel dug into his bag for the ink-less pens she knew had to be around there somewhere, because Dipper would end up grounding his teeth to nothing if he kept it up. Mabel located one by the texture of chewed plastic (which was actually pretty gross; Mabel was just glad there wasn't any spit on them this time) and gave it to her brother.

Dipper gave her a grateful look before chewing on the pen. Mabel guided him away from the front door to a slightly more secluded spot where they were out of the way. Mabel watched her brother chew the pen, right until it snapped into bits (which was exactly why Dipper started removing the ink from his pens. Their not-father had been furious when he caught Dipper and Mabel frantically trying to clean the ink stains). Dipper spat out the plastic with noises of disgust.

"Come to a decision? Or do we need to get you another pen?" Mabel asked with amusement. "No. I've made up my mind." He told her. Mabel grabbed his shoulder, "I'm sure it will be the right one." Dipper took a deep breath. "I don't know who our great uncles are or what they're like. But I know our father. And if they associate with him, I don't want to know them." Mabel nodded. "Alright."

Dipper looked around around before settling on a line with an overhead sign that read "LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA, 3:45 PM" "Why not try L.A.?" Dipper shrugged. The twins walked near the line, without ever getting in it, hoping to avoid the notice of the teenager checking people's tickets for the bus. The twins hurried over to the door and up the steps of the bus when-"Hold on a second you two. You must've slipped past my attention. I forgot to check your tickets." It was the bus-ticket-checker (Mabel decided it would be useful if someone wrote a dictionary filled with terms for weird words that could be used to describe father's that were not father's and people who checked bus tickets).

Mabel flashed him a fake smile. It was one she used to help make her look trustworthy; that was always important when telling a lie. The teen smiled back before scanning their tickets. Mabel supposed they shouldn't have been surprised. Luck was fickle when it came to the Pines twins.

"We must've walked right past you. Sorry, we're just excited to get going." Mabel lied. Inwardly she cringed, berating herself for not being able to come up with something more convincing. If the ticket checker was suspicious, he didn't show it. Dipper gave him the tickets.

"Uh-oh, I think you two are in the wrong line. The bus headed to Gravity Falls is that way." Shaun pointed. Mabel quickly put on a look of puzzlement, and altered her grip on Dipper's arm. "Is it?" She asked. She tilted her head before looking over at the sign, "Oh, well what do ya know? Good thing you caught that Mr." Mabel prayed their attempt to sneak onto the wrong bus would be brushed off.

Shaun gave them a reassuring smile, but Mabel could see that his eyes were focused on Dipper's swollen one. She wondered if he thought they were runaways. "Haha, no problem kids. Here, let me take you to the correct line." Shaun led them over to the line they were supposed to go to, two lines over and right next to the vending machine.

"Thanks mister!" Mabel exclaimed cheerfully, probably much too cheerful to seem real, waving to the worker as he went back to his spot. As soon as his back was turned her smile vanished. She turned to Dipper, who had pulled out another ink-free pen and started chewing on it.

"Bro," Mabel called. Dipper kept chewing on his pen. Mabel poked him on the cheek, taking care to avoid his eye. "Dipper." She tried again. Her brother stopped chewing to look at her, "Yeah?" "It's no big deal alright? So our plan didn't pan out," Mabel said, noting how Shaun was glancing back in their direction, "there will be other chances. And who knows? Maybe our great uncles will be better." Dipper shrugged, not believing it. Mabel didn't know if she did either.

"Hey Dipper," Mabel said, attempting to draw his attention away from their possible impending doom for a little bit, "there's a vending machine. If you still have the money, we can get some snacks for the trip. I even see twix, and I know they're your favorite~" Dipper reached into his pocket, feeling for the money. He nodded to Mabel and walked with her to the vending machine. They set their bags down, ready to cram snacks into whatever available space was left.

Dipper pulled out a twenty quickly, checking to make sure none of the other dollars were poking out of his pocket, before inserting it into the vending machine. Despite Mabel's first impulse being to buy a bunch of candy and gum, she listened to Dipper and got chips and peanut butter crackers instead, since they would be more filling. The machine even had sticky buns! Mabel got several, opening one up right there.

"Who ever invented these things was a genius." She informed her brother when she was finished.

"The bus for Gravity Falls is now boarding!" Called a disinterested voice. Mabel moved to go get in line, but stopped and looked at her brother. "We can always just walk out of this bus station and never look back." Mabel told him, offering him an alternative to the bus.

Dipper's face was expressionless, but she could see a flash of fear and several other jumbled emotions in his eyes. He glanced over at the bus they'd tried and failed to sneak onto. Mabel looked over to see Shaun staring at them. He quickly looked away. "It might be best if we get on the bus." Dipper reluctantly admitted.

Mabel nodded, feeling a small amount of relief. She'd never admit it to Dipper, but she wasn't sure they'd have lasted out on the streets. Dipper must've come to the same conclusion himself. Mabel grabbed his hand, "You ready for a new adventure?"

Dipper tried to smile, but it came out forced and awkward, "I guess it doesn't matter at this point." Mabel smiled back, but she was certain it came out strained too.

"Shall we?" She asked, heart fluttering in her chest. Dipper nodded. Dipper and Mabel got in line for the bus. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, Mabel tried to tell herself, but it felt like a lie.


	4. Chapter 4

**And without further ado, here is the latest chapter! I'd like to thank everyone for reading, following, and commenting on the story.**

 **Brief side note before we begin: Seeing as this isn't a romance story, there's not going to be much focus on pairings, but there may be a few, though I'm still on the fence if any relationships will involve our main cast.**

Mabel fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, deep in thought. Seeing as she was the more socially adept twin, it was up to her to make a good first impression. It took nearly twenty additional meetings to undue a bad first impression, but the time between those meetings would be plenty for their great uncles to decide that they didn't like them. So she had to make those first sixty seconds count.

Mabel looked down, taking in her oversized sweater with an old stain on it and wished she'd bothered to change into a dress before leaving. Adults liked kids who were clean and looked cute. Mabel wasn't sure how cute she'd be able to make Dipper look with the black eye, but she'd work something out. Maybe she could get him a pair of glasses, so their great uncles would think he was cool.

"No that won't work." Mabel mumbled to herself. Her great uncles were old-well, Mabel assumed they were old (She didn't have much to go off on). Mabel didn't know a lot of old people, but from what she has seen it was safe to say shades might backfire. Old people liked silence and manners (even if they weren't always courteous themselves) and talking about how much better the old days were. Or at least their neighbor Mrs. Patty did. Maybe her great uncles would be different, but Mabel decided it would be better not to risk ruining their first impression.

Mabel leaned against her brother, who slung an arm around her shoulder without turning from the window. Mabel bit her sleeve. She'd figure something out.

* * *

 _{Mabel's Dream}_

 _The bus came to a halt, jerking Mabel into awareness. They were here. Mabel and her brother wordlessly gathered their things and made it off the bus. The vehicle's doors squeaked shut behind them and the bus drove off, leaving them all alone at the bus stop._

 _The street signs and bench were old and it seemed no effort had been made to maintain them. The street was cracked and the landscape was covered in dead trees. There wasn't a town in sight. Mabel's grip on her brother's hand strengthened. Dipper squeezed back._

 _"Where's the town?" Mabel asked. There were only trees. Miles and miles of trees. "I don't know," Dipper tells her, eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, "we'll just have to start walking until we see a sign I guess." Dipper leads the way and Mabel follows, neither one letting go of the other. They walk alongside the road, searching for a sign._

 _Mabel sees something from the corner of her eye. She whips her head around so fast hair flies into her face, she shoves it out of the way and looks around for whatever it was that caught her attention. But there was only trees._

* * *

 _"Did you see something?" Dipper asks. Mabel shakes her head, "I thought I saw something in the trees, but I don't think it's anything." "It could've been a person, maybe a hunter? We could go check, if it is a person then we can ask for directions." Dipper tells her._

 _Dipper, suggesting they go talk to a stranger that might not even be there? Dipper? Everything feels off to Mabel and she wishes she was back on the bus or inside because she suddenly feels very exposed. She squeezes her brother's hand harder. She doesn't want to leave the road, but a small "Okay" comes out instead._

 _They continue walking, and it's Dipper that sees something next. "Mabel did you see that? It was a person, c'mon let's follow them." Dipper guides her from the road and into the forest. The ground is slightly squishy, not quiet mud but...clay. Mabel's unease grows. She looks around for the person, but doesn't see anyone. She pulls them to a stop_.

 _"Dipper, maybe we should go back to the road, before we get lost." Mabel tells him. Dipper turns around, "But we could be close to finding him-" Dipper looks like he has more to say, but doesn't. Maybe it's the unease on her face or the fact that the person in nowhere in sight, but he nods in agreement. "Maybe you're right. Let's go back-" Dipper frowns before looking down._

 _Confused, Mabel glances down to. It takes her a moment to register it, but once she does she immediately starts to panic. "Dipper, our feet!" She cries, because their feet are submerged in the clay and they can't move. Mabel can feel herself sinking in the sand-less quicksand._

 _She screams and tries to flail around searching for a nearby branch or anything to haul her and her brother out from the ground. She only sinks faster._

 _"Mabel!" Her brother tugs at her, trying to pull her up but it only makes him start to sink faster too. The ground is up to their calfs, their knees, their waists, their chests. Dipper tries to pull her up from under her arms but all it accomplishes is burying his arms in the clay. Mabel grabs at his shoulders and then his face, because Dipper is now lower than her and she is powerless to do anything that might help him._

 _He goes under. Mabel screams, and she keeps screaming as the clay sucks her up too. She looks up at the sky, fearing it will be her last time ever seeing it again. She goes under._

* * *

Dipper is looking out of the window, arm wrapped around his sleeping sister's shoulder when she suddenly jerks awake. Dipper turns to her, studying her face for any signs of distress (which he finds. Oh boy.)

"Mabel?" He prompts, keeping his voice low enough so that only she can hear, "Is something wrong?" Mabel's hands fly up to her face before reaching for him, pulling Dipper into a hug strong enough to hurt, but he hugs back anyway.

Mabel's head is buried in his chest and he strokes her hair, trying to get her calm enough so that she can tell him what's wrong and he can try to make it better. After a while, Mabel lifts her head.

"It was just a bad dream," She tells him, "sorry." Dipper gives her a reassuring smile (smiling always comes easiest when it's being directed at her) and places a hand on her shoulder, "Don't be. Wanna talk about it?"

So Mabel speaks, and Dipper listens, never speaking unless it's a small word of comfort or reassurance that no, he's not going to drag them through the woods looking for strangers. Once he is certain Mabel has said all she wanted to, Dipper changes the subject so she can have something to take her mind off of the nightmare.

They talk about everything and anything and Mabel even cracks a joke here and there, Dipper tries to make a few jokes himself, but he's not that good with comedy. Both of them end up chuckling anyway.

The ride to Gravity Falls is long, so long that Mabel falls asleep again and Dipper finds himself nearly dozing off twice, but keeps himself awake so that way one of them can watch for when they get there.

Dipper finds himself nearly nodding off for the third time when he spots a large welcome sign and immediately perks up. The bus comes to a stop and he shakes Mabel awake.

"We're here, get up." He whispers. Mabel groans, attempting to block him out and continue sleeping but failing as the driver announces from the speakers that they've arrived. Mabel eventually gets up, and after an unnecessarily long amount of time spent waiting for all the people in front of them to gather their things and unload (enough to make Dipper wish they'd sat in the front even if it meant being right next to the driver) they make it off the bus.

"You know, our f- _he_ ," Dipper corrects himself, because Addison Pines has made it clear he wants nothing to do with them, and because Dipper wants to make it clear the feeling is mutual, "could have at least bothered to tell us our great uncles names. Or what they look like." Mabel nods in agreement, "I guess we just have to look for someone who looks kinda like us." The twins search for an older man, or a group with at least two older men, and fortunately it doesn't take them long to find what they're looking for.

Of course the sign helps. It's not very large but the bold black letters are easy enough to read from far away. 'DIPPER AND MABEL' The sign is held up by a man in his teens or early adulthood, and next to him is a guy wearing some nice clothes. He doesn't look much older than their father, with only the beginnings of gray in his brown hair, and now that Dipper thinks about it the man does look similar to him. They have the same jaw (though this man's isn't tightly clenched) and nose and the hair is a similar shade to Dipper's own.

He had to be their great uncle. At least one of them. He's younger than Dipper would have originally guessed, and far friendlier looking too. But looks could be deceiving. Dipper wouldn't let himself be fooled.

"Over there." Dipper points out the two men with the sign. Mabel follows his finger until she can spot them too. As if sensing it, she puts Dipper's hand down right as they are spotted in return. The older (but not old old) man waves to them.

"Ready?" Mabel asks, grabbing her brother's hand. He nods in acknowledgment. Ready. Mabel leads them, a large smile plastered onto her face. She's beaming, but her grip is tight and she's walking differently from her usual style and Dipper knows she's just as nervous as he is.

"Hello there kids!" The man greets cheerfully, "Are your names Dipper and Mabel?" The happiness in his voice has to be fake, Dipper tells himself, no ones that happy, not around people they've just met. Mabel responds back just as cheerfully, "Why hello there!" Her voice is slightly higher pitched than normal. "You'd be correct. Are you one of my great uncles?"

The man bends down and extends his hand and Dipper has to resist the urge to drag Mabel away from it, "That's right, I'm Stanley. Nice to meet ya!" Mabel shakes his hand. Stanley then holds his hand out to Dipper, who uses the hand not holding onto Mabel's to shake back. His hands are a little sweaty, but Stanley never comments or makes a face of disgust. He does, however, notice the black eye. He chooses not to comment on it. Dipper doesn't know if that's a good thing.

"You are probably already aware, but I'm Mabel and this is my brother Dipper. As you can see he's quiet the chatterbox." Mabel jokes. This gets a laugh out of Stanley, who replies, "I can tell. Now why don't we go grab something to eat? I'm sure you kids must be starving!"

Stanley turns to the younger man that's been standing quietly off to the side, "This is Soos. He helps me and my brother out. He can take your bags for you." Soos gives them a nod and reaches for their bags. Mabel hands hers off with a 'thank you' but Dipper moves out of reach, showing that he'd prefer to keep his bag. He'd have liked Mabel's to keep hers too, but it's too late for that now. Dipper hopes they won't have to end up making a run for it and leave her bag behind. It's a good thing Dipper didn't have any of the money stashed in there then (not that he doesn't trust his sister, because she's the only one he truly does).

"That'd be great. Lead the way!" Mabel says. As soon as Stanley turns to guide them presumably to the car, Mabel chews on the hem of her sleeve. Dipper and Mabel follow their great uncle, with Soos walking behind them and Dipper constantly looking back (trying but probably failing at being discreet) to watch him.

Stanley leads them to a white car that looks nice and is probably expensive. But judging by the fancy clothes and Soos, who appeared to be a butler or something similar, his great uncle could definitely afford it.

Dipper and Mabel got into the car, only letting go of each others hands long enough to get in and buckle up.

"He seems...nice." Mabel whispered. "It must be because we're out in public, or because he wants something." Dipper whispered back, "We can't forget that." Mabel nodded in agreement. The car door opened and both clam up as Soos and Stanley get into the car.

"Take us away Soos," Stanley instructs with a wave of his hand. The car takes off smoothly and Dipper looks out the window, at least until he feels the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Someone's watching him. He turns forward, expecting Soos or Stanley to be staring at him, but both are looking ahead. Maybe it was his imagination (or maybe it wasn't).

"Why don't we start with an icebreaker?" Stanley suggests. Dipper is uninterested in getting to know his great uncle Stanley (boy was that a mouthful) and he is certain the feeling is mutual, so he wishes the man would just drop the act already and tell the, what he wants.

"That sounds like a great idea," Mabel comments, her eyes locking with Dipper's. She was suspicious too, but was determined to remain on Stanley's good side. For now anyway. "Like what?" Dipper asks, careful to keep himself from sounding sarcastic.

"What do ya know, he can talk!" Stanley jokes, but Dipper can't help but wonder if there was really a mocking undertone or if he was just imagining it. "I'm kidding," Stanley reassures them, "I like to poke fun is all. Laughter is the best medicine!"

Stanley clears his throat, "Getting back on track; ice breakers, here we go. Why not start with something fun, like a game of sorts...I call it 'Two Truths and One Lie.' Make up three statements, two true and one false and I'll do the same. Then we'll see how good you two are at spotting lies and making them."

Mabel's interest is immediately caught. She was a good liar, and this would be a perfect opportunity for her to see if she'd be able to fool their great uncle (the knowledge would doubtless come in handy since they were excepted to live with him, but at the same time it would give Stanley a chance to learn just how good they were at deception, possibly making it a less effective tool in the future). Dipper eyed Stanley warily. He was smart and still an unknown variable, making him all the more dangerous. Dipper wandered if coming to Gravity Falls had been the right choice after all.

* * *

Stanley stared straight ahead, but watched his niece and nephew in the backseat through the rearview mirror. Twins, just like him and Ford. Mabel was staring outside with a look of intensity and concentration letting him know she was taking this seriously. Cute. Stan thinks it'll be easy to determine which one is her lie, but reminds himself he's only known her for all of five minutes so he shouldn't get too cocky. Dipper, on the other hand, was a different story.

He didn't seem very interested, not in their little game at least, and was staring at Stan in a way that reminded him vaguely of Ford when he came across a new magical creature or item he didn't understand. Stan wondered how long it would take the boy to figure out Gravity Falls was a lot more than the quiet little hick town it seemed.

And then of course...there was the matter of himself and Ford and their...secret. Stan chose not to worry about that for now, the time would come soon enough.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you all so much! The support for this story has been great. Comments simply make my day. Anyway, back to the story. Who do you think will win the game? Place your bets now!**

* * *

The restaurant great uncle Stanley takes them to a restaurant that is fancy (Soos doesn't come with them, claiming he has stuff to do elsewhere) and it makes Mabel card her fingers through her hair to make sure it's not a complete mess, and wishes yet again that she'd worn something nicer. The stain on her shirt felt more like a neon sign rather than a bit of paint or mustard (or whatever else she could've gotten on herself that was a yellow color) and she felt that their great uncle Stanley was secretly horribly unimpressed by them, possibly even embarrassed. He'd want to lock them up and keep them out of sight in order to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

Mabel suddenly felt a lot less hungry and lot more like hiding in her sweater. She doesn't though, because that would probably embarrass Great uncle Stanley or he'd get angry. Mabel didn't know if great uncle Stanley would become a violent person who lashed out at those he had power over or if he'd just go somewhere and drink the feelings away, but Mabel knows she doesn't want to find out.

A waiter in a fancy outfit (fancy shoes, fancy pants, fancy shirt, fancy vest, because everything was all so nice and fancy except for Mabel and Dipper-) takes them to a booth off in the corner. A small part of Mabel thinks it's to hide them, because maybe Dipper and Mabel embarrass the restaurant staff too, but she tells herself to focus on more important things, like making sure their great uncle likes them so he wouldn't be as inclined to locking them up. Great Uncle Stanley follows their server as if he's right and home, and it's almost like he is because he seems to fit right in. Mabel and Dipper have to quicken their pace to keep up because their legs are so much shorter. Did they want to leave the twins behind? (Mabel was reaching Dipper levels of paranoia and overthinking, and sternly reminded herself to calm down.)

They all sit down, Great uncle Stanley on one side and Dipper and Mabel on the other. The waiter hands them menus before disappearing off to the kitchen, or to another table, or to wherever else a waiter might go.

Mabel glances down at the menu and then up at Stan, who's looking at a menu of his own. He must've been able to feel her gaze, because he looks back at her before she can look away.

"The food here's great. I'm sure that whatever you order, you'll like." Great uncle Stanley says. Mabel wonders if there's some deeper meaning or if it's some sort of test, because their great uncle has that look as if he knew something she didn't. (All this suspicion is making her sound like Dipper.)

Mabel looks over at her brother Dipper, and they both nod before picking up a menu. Everything sounds fancy and is expensive (there is an item on the menu called a boneless ground steak between two slices of French bread that sounds a lot like a hamburger but is twenty dollars so maybe it isn't-either way Mabel thinks it's ridiculous and she's sure that Dipper does too if he's seen it yet but neither says a word about it). Mabel silently debates between ordering the cheapest thing on the menu in the hopes to remain on her great uncle Stanley's good side or if she should just order whatever's the most expensive because getting on his bad side is bound to happen at some point. She looks at her brother for guidance. He instinctively looks back but doesn't communicate verbal or otherwise. Mabel wants to huff because twin telepathy should be working at a time like this and Mabel wishes that she and Dipper could just mentally beam each other their thoughts.

The waiter is back and Great uncle Stanley is the first to order. "I'll have the usual." Is all he says, but apparently that's enough for the waiter who kisses his lips before making a weird little gesture with his hands, "An excellent choice sir~" He turns to Dipper and Mabel and Mabel covers the stain on her shirt before she even realizes it. She looks at Dipper, mentally signaling that he should order first.

The twin telepathy must've kicked in, because Dipper clears his throat. His face is utterly devoid of emotion, but his finger is tapping on the menu. He just as nervous-if not more so-than she is.

"I'll have the..." Dipper hesitates briefly, and Mabel feels bad for putting him on the spot since it's obvious he didn't have a clue what he wanted it order. Dipper's eyes scan the menu and he mumbles what Mabel assumes is the first item he sees, "The onion soup...French onion soup." Mabel makes a face. A soup made primarily out of onions? Didn't sound very good to her, French or not. Mabel would just have to share her food then.

Mabel orders what the menu says is not a hamburger but she's pretty sure it's just a lie so the restaurant can charge more. Mabel's not paying for it, so it doesn't really matter. The waiter gives another flourish of his hands before wandering off.

Mabel turns her attention back to great uncle Stanley, who's acting like he's been expecting her to, and her twin telepathy tells her Dipper is looking at him too.

"Why don't we resume up our game? Who wants to go first?" He asks. "Why don't you? ...Great uncle Stanley." Dipper asks. The defensive (but not unjustified) tone makes Mabel wince, but their great uncle smiles, "Sure. Sweep before your own door first and all that."

"I've broken my nose twice, I live in a big house in the middle of town, and," At this Great uncle Stanley leaned closer to them, his voice dropping to a whisper, "and I've captured a demon." He pulled back, just as the waiter arrived with their food.

"Here you are~ If there is anything else you need, anything at all, do not hesitate to ask." The waiter was gone as abruptly as he had come, leaving Mabel with her twin, great uncle, and a whole lot of questions.

There were multiple ways their great uncle could've approached the game. He could have thrown in a lie that was so obvious they would pick a different choice because it seemed too easy, or his outrageous statement hadn't been a lie, just some weird stretch of the truth made to sound like one. Mabel looked at him suspiciously, and he innocently smiled back. He was definitely trying to trick them, that was for certain.

"There's no way, demons aren't real." Dipper said. It was the obvious response, but the wrong one. Demons were real, if not in the sense Dipper was thinking.

"I think the demon is true." Mabel stated. Her great uncle smiled a knowing smile, that in itself a conformation of her words. "You probably just caught a wild animal you named demon, right?" She explained. That had to be it. Great uncle Stan didn't confirm or deny it.

"And the lie?" He asked. Mabel considered her options. The house seemed logical since he was rich, but he had already proven that he was tricky with words and technicalities, so maybe that was supposed to be the easy one to cancel out as the lie. As for the broken nose...Mabel eyed her great uncle. It looked straight enough to her. Maybe he just had a good doctor or something.

"You don't have a big house in the middle of town." Mabel declared. Great uncle Stanley nodded to himself, "Sorry to say sweetie...but you got it right! Congrats. You did good figuring it out, but let's see how you do on the opposite end."

* * *

"...but let's see how you do on the opposite end."

Stan had to admit, he was surprised (but not disappointed, quiet the opposite actually) that Mabel had managed to figure it out. 'Lying must run in the family,' Stan thinks. After all, no ones better at figuring out when someone's lying better than a liar themselves.

"All right-y," Mabel begins, "once I got so sick from eating glitter I had to go to the doctor, I got banned from the zoo by our house, and I'm an excellent seamstress!"

Mabel's body language has grown more open and relaxed, and Stan can tell it's not simply because she's grown comfortable around him. He taps his chin and hums to himself, deciding not to overthink it and let his gut take care of the rest.

"The seamstress is a lie." Stan tells her. He had briefly considered the zoo, but decided that a kid that was good at lying probably got into their fair share of mischief (Stan just hoped they didn't try anything with Ford, for their own sakes).

Mabel gives him a smile, and Stan knows he's mistaken. "Wrong." Mabel has dimples, Stan notes, just like his mother (a fact not well known due to how little his mother did it, but that was neither here nor there).

"Which was it?" Stan asks. "The zoo. I've never been to one." Mabel tells him. Stan nods. Figures. The gut always knows what the head might not've figured out yet.

"Last but not least, it's your turn sport." Stan says as he focuses on the more quiet of the twins. Stan could count the number of words Dipper has said to him on his fingertips, and the emotions he could gather from the kid's facial expressions was even less. However the face wasn't the only place you looked for body language.

Dipper's hands were always moving, save for when he was holding his sister's hand. So he wasn't as calm as he was pretending to be. Still, the kid had a lot of potential for poker (and Stan had been considering adding a casino, though Ford argued it didn't fit the mystery theme). Stan wondered if he was a good liar too.

"I like peanut butter, I'm happy to be here," Stan resisted the urge to snort, "...and I have a birthmark...it's of the Big Dipper."

Oh...

The Big Dipper. One of ten signs on the cipher wheel. This changed things.

'Well,' Thinks the part of his brain that is still able to form coherent thoughts, 'Ford won't object to keeping the kids now.' But this meant not keeping them entirely out of things either. And while Stan knew he'd have to come clean about his secret eventually, there had been some things he had hoped to keep from them, even if only until they were older. (Because contrary to what Ford thought, he did care when it came to things like this.)

"Big Dipper, huh?" Stan mumbled to himself. "Well since its obvious which one is the lie, why not show me that birthmark?"

Dipper made a face, but after taking a glance at Mabel, he lifted up his bangs. Sure enough, the Big Dipper was etched into his forehead.

"What about you, Mabel? Got one to match?" Stan asks, because he thinks he can see a pattern here with twins and the zodiac signs. Mabel shakes her head, "Nope. Dipper's one of a kind!" Stan nods but doesn't rule out Mabel being a member of the zodiac. Not all the signs had to be literal after all.

"Good game, and since you've won, why don't I treat you both to desert?"

"Welcome boy and girl, to the place of wonder, of equal horrors and delights, and no refunds, the Mystery Mansion!" Great Uncle Stanley declared, gesturing to the massive building behind him.

"Woah..." Mabel said in awe. Dipper was inclined to agree. The place was huge. It was styled like an old Victorian house, complete with large windows and double doors with intricate carvings on them.

"Well what are you waiting for? Don't be a stranger, you live here now, so go right on in." He told them.

Dipper hesitated before pulling on the handle. The door was heavy and creaked as he dragged it open.

"Now's a good time as any for a tour, right kids? Unless you're feeling tired. Travel tends to wear people out." Great uncle Stanley stated. Dipper, still stiff from the bus ride, didn't feel like walking around more, but also wasn't so keen on not knowing where he was going. He'd go with whatever his sister decided.

"A tour sounds nice. Especially of a house as...unique as this." Mabel added. That was one way to put it. Creepy might've been a better way. The house reminded Dipper of all the horror movies he liked to watch on tv.

The walls were filled with lamps that cast a blue light, yet the house remained dim. The walls were lined with paintings that seemed to follow you, and occasionally from the corner of his eye Dipper could have sworn he'd saw something blue move. He told himself it was just the flickering flames from the lamps.

"This is the entrance, as you can see the stairs leading upstairs are right here, however you'll be able to find a few other staircases throughout the building." Great uncle Stanley informed them. He strolled down the hall, his footsteps being the loudest things present. Something at the corner of his eye again, something blue and definitely not flame shaped, but Dipper told himself his eyes were playing tricks on him, and that he needed to be on the lookout for actual danger rather than the creations of his own mind.

As they turned the hall Dipper found himself examining the furniture. Pieces as dark as this had to be dusted frequently, because dust showed easily, yet there wasn't a speck in sight. Even Addison would've been impressed. Their great uncle must have a truly impressive cleaning staff if the entire mansion was kept in such an orderly state. Dipper wondered if that meant that messes just drove them even crazier.

Their Great Uncle paused in front of a set of double doors. He straightened his shirt collar before sweeping his hand in a wide arc above himself. "This is were the magic happens kiddos. The magic of sales!" Their great uncle pulled back the door, revealing the gift shop that lay behind it.

It was brighter in here, allowing Dipper to easily see the various items from shot glasses to clothing to items Dipper wasn't quiet sure as to what they were lined shelves and tables all over the large room, with a circular desk right in the middle. Standing there, with her face buried in a book, was a teenager Dipper assumed worked here.

She was tall (although Dipper thought that about anyone taller than himself) with long red hair, freckles, and a little too much black make up for his tastes. Upon hearing the door slam shut, she jumped before scrambling to hide her book.

"O-oh! Mr. Pines, I-I was just waiting for some, uh, customers to show up! But, um, none are here right now, so um-" She paused nervously as their great uncle held up a hand. "Don't stress about it kid." He assured her, "Its not like there's any customers here in the first place. Must not be done with the tour yet. It'll be our little secret." The girl sagged with relief. "Thank you Mr. Pines."

"Not a problem. Just don't let Ford catch ya. Anyway, kids this is Wendy. She works here. Wendy, this is Dipper and Mabel. They'll be living here from now on." Great uncle Stanley introduced. Mabel offered the girl a wave and small smile. Dipper shuffled his feet and tried not to look at his feet.

"Uh...hey there...kids. Nice to meet you..." She greeted. Wendy rubbed the back of her neck. "Nice to meet you too." Mabel responded. The group sank into silence.

"Say, why don't you two each pick out one item from the gift shop, on the house. Think of it as a welcome present." Their great uncle offered. Mabel peeked up slightly, "We'd like that very much actually." She nudged him. "Thank you Great Uncle Stanley." They replied in unison. Mabel dragged him off to go look.

There was an abundance of things to choose from, but Dipper wasn't interested in getting some cheep souvenir. Mabel, on the other hand, seemed happy enough.

"Free stuff? I think he might be taking a liking to us~" Mabel whispered hopefully. Dipper wasn't so sure, but he didn't want to ruin her good mood.

"Oh this will do nicely~" Mabel exclaimed. She spun towards Dipper to show him whatever it was that had caught her attention. In her hands was a dark blue cape.

"Isn't it amazing? I've always wanted one!" Mabel exclaimed. She threw it on and twirled around giggling. A small smile found its way onto Dipper's face.

"Alright, now you've gotta pick something." Mabel told him. Dipper considered it for a moment. He spotted a rack with some hoodies, and headed straight for it. There were several designs, but Dipper decided to go for a black one with the words 'Mystery Mansion' written in white.

They returned to their great uncle, bringing their new things with them. Great uncle Stanley glanced at the items they chose, "An excellent choice." He told them, reminding Dipper of the waiter from that fancy restaurant, minus the accent.

A set of doors opened, and several people flooded into the room. "It seems as though Ford finished the tour. He likes to give 'em fast." Their great uncle told them. Wendy ha vanished behind the counter as a swarm of customers headed towards her, their arms full of merchandise.

"It's getting a tad crowded in here, wouldn't you agree? Let's go elsewhere. Actually, why don't I introduce you to my brother; we're twins, just like you too." He suggested.

Dipper would rather just get the tour over with and get settled in, but didn't think it wise to blow off their great uncle just yet. So he nodded instead. "Well, there's no time like the present." Mabel said. Their great uncle smiled, "I couldn't agree more."

Their great uncle led them back the way they'd come. The feeling of being watched returned again. Dipper looked back, but as usual, there was nothing. It was just the overall atmosphere of the place, Dipper decided.

* * *

Bill was careful to press his physical form against the wall as constellation looked in his direction. Two more of them. Emotions, the horrendous things, fluttered through Bill and he felt his eyes begin to water. It was so common an occurrence at this point that the triangle made no effort to stop. He was careful not to make a sound though. Bill couldn't risk revealing himself to constellation or pentagram until his masters (Bill loathed having to call them that, which was why, in part, Six fingers demanded that he do it) allowed him to. Him, a being of pure energy with no weaknesses. Except that he had some, and they had been used against him.

Humiliation overtook Bill, an emotion that was only second to fear with sadness as a close third on the list of feelings he hated (of course all emotions were on that list, but that was besides the point). When he got free, Sixer and Question Mark would rue the day they crossed him. The memory made his eye glow red. Oh he'd get them all right, and when he did...

But for now, he was stuck waiting, watching, listening for anything that would grant him the opportunity to reclaim his freedom. There would be a delicious irony in using the younger set of pines twins to free him (or better yet Sixer himself), but it seemed a close eye was going to be kept on them, making them off limits (for the time being at least).

Bill floated down the hallway after the zodiac members. They had gathered in Six finger's office. He phased through the wall, before finding a nice spot to hide in one of the dark corners of the ceiling. The lights had been dimmed; Sixer's flair for the dramatic only serving to make Bill's presence more hidden, from the smaller twins at least. Sixer and Question mark would always know where he was.

The door opened, and some light spilled into the room. Question mark and the kids stepped inside, only for the door to slam shut between them, seemingly of its own accord. Bill felt the drain, a constant in his existence for nearly thirty years, become slightly stronger before returning to its normal state.

Pentagram and Constellation jumped, but Question mark, also able to sense Bill's magic at work, was unsurprised.

"Ford," He began, Bill could feel the meat sack's nervousness (another wretched thing about being bound: not only could he feel emotions, but Sixer's and Question Mark's could sometimes be felt as if they were his own). "This is Dipper and Mabel."

Ford surveyed the trio cooly, no doubt trying to intimidate Pentagram and Constellation. From the looks of it, it was working.

"Greetings. I am Stanford Pines. One of your new...guardians."


End file.
